Letter: North Tonawanda needs better service from NFTA

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority tends to ignore patrons in North Tonawanda. Let me stress that the Metro Bus drivers are the hardest working and most devoted people I have ever met. However, leadership’s decisions to cut bus routes over the last 10 years have not been based on reality for most of the working class, like myself, who rely on them for sustenance.

As a former Buffalonian, I moved to North Tonawanda two years ago. Six weeks later, one of the major North Tonawanda, Niagara County bus routes was discontinued. This route accessed Mid-City Plaza, Niagara Falls Boulevard, Walmart in Wheatfield and Niagara Falls Airport. It was replaced by the Delaware 25-D that runs scarcely Monday through Friday from Mid-City Plaza to downtown Buffalo and back. As it is scheduled to run, you may have trouble getting to a 9-to-5 job or returning back home from an evening position.

After attempts over the last two years from North Tonawanda citizens voicing their concerns to the NFTA, along with a petition with over 200 signatures presented to it in the summer of 2015, nothing has changed. Even the sincere efforts of Sen. Robert Ortt have been ignored.

I am hoping there will be a day soon when the NFTA will recognize the transportation needs of North Tonawanda and fairly share government funding between Niagara and Erie counties.